Vitsebsk: New Threat Letters from Russian Nazis

Recently representatives of an unregistered Russian neonazi organization Russian National Unity (RNE) have sent letters to the editor of the Kurier newspaper Uladzimir Bazan and its distributor Barys Khamaida.

In these letters the anonymous RNE members threaten to punish Bazan and Khamaida referring to good relations with the local authorities. They also write that they can escape punishment in the case their newspaper publishes an article against the installment of a memorial sign to the Jews who were shot in Vitsebsk ghetto during World War II. This initiative belongs to the city Jewish community and has been already approved by Vitsebsk regional executive committee.

In the anonymous letters RNE representatives state that separation of the Jews’ sufferings from the sufferings of the whole ‘Soviet people’ foments national enmity. Barys Khamaida intends to apply to Vitsebsk regional prosecutor’s office concerning this incident, whereas Uladzimir Bazan is not sure whether he will do it. Vitsebsk journalists, activists and culture workers have received letters from RNE many times, but neither police, nor prosecutor’s office have taken enough efforts to find those who threatens to Belarusian citizens on behalf of this Russian neonazi organization.